Just a Kiss
by Hubard
Summary: A short comical story set in HBP about Harry and Ginny and a trap that locks them together.
1. The gift

Fred Weasley sat up straight from the delicate wand work he was doing. He frowned and a crease appeared on his forehead between his eyebrows. Looking concerned Fred used his index finger to swipe a dangling lock of red hair that had fallen in front of his right eye. "George?" he called over his shoulder.

Fred's twin brother George came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and his vivid ginger hair sticking up at every angle, his toothbrush protruded out of the corner of his mouth. "Wha'" he grunted around the toothbrush.

Their flat above their joke shop was quite large, but because they did quite a lot of spell experimentation in the flat most of their living room was battered and broken. That was what Fred was doing at that moment... Experimenting. Fred loved experimentation; it was his favourite part of what other people laughingly referred to as a job... a job... how could anyone call blowing things up and then selling them a job?

"Er... Do you have anything of Hermione's?"

George took the toothbrush from his mouth and swallowed. "No, why do ask..." Fred saw the moment of recognition from his brother's face. "Ah," George continued, "did you make that a question for the sole purpose of trying to transfer the blame to me? When what you're really trying to say is that _you've _not got anything of Hermione's!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Well why not... you were supposed to get something!"

Fred turned around on his stool so that he faced George properly. "What gave you that idea? I don't remember being assigned 'Stealer of Hermoine's possessions'!"

"I don't know." George thrust his toothbrush in Fred's direction. "But you should have."

Fred went to retort but had to pause to digest that bit of bad logic... "Right then. For that; I nominate you to go and get something of hers."

George gave a little jump of indignation and his towel fell down...

"Er..." He bit on his toothbrush and pulled it back up. "Ok it's time to stop this nonsense! Tomorrow morning we head to the Burrow and see if she's left anything in Ginny's room. Can you carry on working until we get something of Hermione's?"

"No," Fred replied regretfully, "I've added Harry's, Ron's, and Ginny's things and locked the spell to them, and I can't knot it and add the bottled kiss until I've got something to lock Hermione to Ron. What if there's nothing in Ginny's room?"

George scrubbed at his molars as he thought. "How long will it take you to finish the present?"

"Depends," replied Fred. "Maybe half an hour..."

"Hmm... too long. I was thinking of snatching a hair off her head, finishing the spell and opening the box in as much time as it took me to make the suggestion."

"That won't work... Let's think of what if's tomorrow... I'm going to bed... it's only two days until Ron's birthday so let's hope we dream up some miraculous answer if we don't find one of Hermione's hairclips or hankies in the morning."

JaKJaKJaKJaKJaKJaKJaK

"Brother of mine," said George standing regally, with one forearm behind the small of his back and the other aloft, "behold the majesty that is Hermione's old sweaty sock."

"Oh lovely... You sure it's not Ginny's?"

"Yeah it's too big for Ginny, she's got midget feet."

Fred sighed in relief... "Ok let's go, Mum must be suspicious enough as it is."

George held the sock while Fred tapped it with his wand. They would return to their flat, finish the spell and then wrap a second present. The first present would have no message on it so that they could deny all knowledge. As far as anyone else would know, the second present would be the only one Fred and George were giving to their brother on his seventeenth birthday, containing mundane shaving utensils... Hopefully he would get something else though... something he would no doubt much prefer.

JaKJaKJaKJaKJaKJaKJaK

"Bugger!" exclaimed Fred. Ron was in the hospital wing...

"Damn!" said George. They walked along side by side. So much for surprising Ron in Hogsmead.

They slowed as they got nearer to the hospital wing and at the doors they stopped and poked their heads in to take a look inside. Harry, Hermione and Ginny were all sat around Ron who was lying on a metal rimmed hospital bed.

They stood back up just outside. "Right," said Fred, "we can still make this work... if you're still game."

"'Course I am," said George looking insulted, "nearly dying is no excuse to stop this... he can still get some in a hospital bed," he grinned.

"I agree. I noticed there are no presents around his bed... so... we put that one," he pointed to the unnamed box, "on Ron's bed in the dormitories, and then we go into the hospital wing and put this one, from us, on the side... then we suggest to Harry that we go and get the rest of Ron's presents and bring them here for when he wakes up."

"That's good, and then we can 'by chance' notice that this one's not marked and we can open it ourselves... 'Just in case someone untrustworthy sent it...'"

"Which they did," they laughed quietly. "Ok then let's go."

The twins had to levitate the present through the window in the end, because they didn't have the password to get past the fat lady's portrait that guarded the Gryffindor common room. It got tricky once the parcel drifted out of sight, but they were fairly sure they managed to land it somewhere near Ron's bed.

They hurried back down stairs and shortcuts to the hospital wing and entered as smoothly as they could.

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays..."

The twins sat and listened to Harry Potter as he explained how Ron had drunk poison most likely meant for someone else and how Harry had saved him.

And then... "We should go and get him his other presents," suggested George flawlessly.

"What?" said Harry.

"His other presents," explained George... for when he wakes up... I'm sure he'd like it if they were all here."

Fred was half afraid Harry was going to decide against it but good old Harry agreed and the three boys hurried up to Gryffindor tower.

Fred made sure that he picked up the unopened present himself so that Harry did not get suspicious, after all Harry would have been sure to have seen all of Ron's presents that morning and might notice an extra one.

The twins were careful not to catch each others eye, they were well practiced at subterfuge and acknowledging a partner in crime while you were carrying out a plan could lead to ruin.

It was not until they were unloading the presents around Ron's bed that Harry noticed the extra parcel...

"What's that?" he asked pointing under Fred's arm from next to Ginny across the other side of the bed. Ginny leant sideways off of the edge of her chair to peer around Harry. Hermione, on the same side of the bed as Fred and George, did not take any notice, except to squeeze Ron's hand a little. _Oh this is perfect, _thought Fred, sometimes it just seemed too easy.

"What do you mean?" asked Fred innocently. "It's a present."

Harry frowned. "It wasn't with Ron's other presents this morning." Ah but you could always count on Harry.

Fred examined it. "There's no name..."

"That's fishy," said Ginny glancing up at Harry's face, "maybe someone's trying to finish Ron off."

George moved next to his brother. "We should open it and check for..."

"NO!" cried Harry as he lunged forward across the bed. But it was too late for him, George had already lifted the lid of the box and their unsuspecting birthday present erupted from it.

Silver beams of light streamed out of the box with a huge billow of smoke. The light curved and bounced in the air, sparkling and jumping around. Six beams danced around them... S_ix? _thought Fred, _Oh damn._

The spells struck each of them. Fred felt an unstoppable tug at his right wrist and he was wrenched to the side. He and George struck each other and bounced off. But they did not bounce far apart because as the smoke cleared and everyone became visible again Fred saw to his horror, a silver, metal, handcuff attaching his right wrist to Georges left.

The twins gaze lifted to each other they shared identical looks of terror. They tugged at the handcuffs, knowing it was useless... there was only one thing could get the handcuffs off and it was not brute strength... _No, no, no, no, no. _Thought Fred over and over... _how could this have happened?_ The spells should have latched on to only the people who he had targeted and he was not one of those people... oh how he hated it when plans backfired.

He risked a glance across at the others around the bed... yes... that had all worked out correctly.

Harry stood next to Ginny coughing at the last vestige of smoke; his wand was in his hand pointed at the box. Ginny sat next to him aghast. Her back was ram rod straight, her eyes wide and staring at the handcuffs on her right hand attaching her to Harry, who seemed unaware of his predicament.

Hermione sniffed, she had stood at the eruption of spells and still held Ron's hand, she too did not seem to realise that her left wrist had a new decoration.

Ginny whipped her head to her brothers, he shock replaced by anger. "What! Have! You! Done!?" she gnashed through grinding teeth. She gave a tug at the hand cuff.

Harry glanced down and then did a double take. He tugged back.

"Don't pull me," snapped Ginny pulling her wand awkwardly with her left hand from her right pocket. "George... What have you done?"

"Me?" George complained. He lifted his hand so that Fred's hand was dragged up too. "If you hadn't noticed I'm in the same position as you!" There were a few moments of shock, when their surprise present backfired and caught them in all its glory, but the twins were professional, their acting was exemplary.

Ginny all but growled and pointed her wand at the chain linking the two wrists. Fred had to bite his tongue or laugh. "_Reducto._" Ginny cried. The spell struck the links and the small length of chain shrunk to half its previous size.

"Ginny stop," shouted Harry. Ginny bit her lip, anger was gone... now she looked like she wanted to be sick. She turned back to her brothers. "Get it off."

Fred and George put on identical looks of insulted innocence. "We didn't do it!" lied Fred.

Madam Pomfrey appeared suddenly from her office as though she had smelt out trouble on her ward and she scurried across to Ron's bed.

"What's going on? If you're disturbing my patient –"

Ginny shot to her feet and held out her hand, joined to Harry's.

"Look," she demanded, "Those twits opened that box and... look!"

Madam Pomfrey glared at the twins. "We didn't _do_ anything," they protested like five year olds accused of filching biscuits from the cookie jar.

The nurse pulled her plump frame up to her full height... which to be honest was not particularly threatening, she barely topped Fred's chest. "Well, whatever nonsense this is it can be done away from my Hospital. Go on! Out! All of you! Leave my patient in peace." No one moved, but everyone's gaze drifted to Hermione's wrist, which was attached to said patient. Madam Pomfrey's eyes followed.

"Oh if you two were still in school I'd have you both scrubbing bedpans for the rest of the year."

"It wasn't _us_!" the twins complained.

After harrumphing she moved over to Hermione and Ron. "_Evenesco_."

"Ow!" Hermione flinched. "It just tightened."

Madam Pomfrey glared at the handcuff for a second and then sighed. "I'll go fetch Filius." She brandished the wand at them all like a sword. "None of you are to leave do you hear?"

"You just told us all to get out a minute ago," said George.

Madam Pomfrey huffed and went back to her office. Hermione sat back down. She stared at her wrist, looking faintly bemused. Ginny glared at her brothers. Harry's eye's kept flicking between Ginny and the handcuffs; he looked a bit queasy. Fred and George shared a look... Harry should love getting the handcuffs off. They grinned devilishly.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing," replied Fred.

Tiny Professor Flitwick waltzed into the hospital wing then. "Now then," he squeaked, "what seems to be the problem?"

They all lifted their hands in unison. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and came back over to stand by them.

"You are... handcuffed to each other?" asked the little Professor in bemusement.

"That's exactly the problem," said Ginny dryly.

"And we can't get them off," added Harry.

Professor Flitwick chuckled. "Of course, or else it would not be a problem would it. Hmm. Now then let me see." He carefully inspected the chain linking Harry and Ginny; he muttered softly to himself and viewed it from every angle. It took him a full five minutes before he even drew his wand. From then on the evening went rather down hill.

Professor Flitwick could do nothing, though gratifyingly he was thoroughly impressed by the spells on the handcuffs. He even tried shrinking Harry's hand and whole arm at one point, but the handcuffs shrunk to match. He viewed them like a confounding puzzle that he did not want to put down. When he decided it was beyond him he called in their head of house, the stern spartan, Professor McGonagall, who tried transfiguration, but all that achieved was to turn the handcuff, linking Harry and Ginny, pink and fluffy, and then she could not manage to change it back. Rather unlike Flitwick's enthusiasm, it seemed to frustrate McGonagall. She, in turn, called in Professor Snape; Fred saw Harry sink his head into his hands when McGonagall announced she was called in Snape.

The worst moment was when Fred's mum and dad came in. They had been visiting with Professor Dumbledore about Ron's poisoning, and had obviously finished and returned to see Ron again. Their mum's delight at seeing Fred and George died when she realised what was going on, and Fred had a sneaking suspicion that she knew exactly who was behind this even if she could not prove it. The twin's innocent faces did not work on her anymore.

Fred felt particularly proud of himself when Professor Dumbledore himself was called to have a go at unlocking the handcuffs, even while secretly hoping that Dumbledore would be the one to succeed so that he and George did not have to get the handcuffs off themselves. He looked particularly solemn as he entered the hospital wing but after a look at what adorned Harry and Ginny his face broke into a marvellous smile. He lifted an eyebrow at Harry familiarly; who rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh.

Dumbledore failed along with the rest. He thought that he had beaten the handcuffs when he turned Harry's hand to jelly, but when they tried to slide the handcuff off it proved to be stuck tight to his wrist.

"Madam Pomfrey... I believe you will need to set up some beds for the night..." he said, he sounded faintly surprised. "Close together... I think it best if you all stay here for the night, we can continue to ponder this in the morning but it's late and it could take time to puzzle out your new decorations."

Harry's head snapped up from where it was nestled in one hand. "You mean we're _stuck_!"

Dumbledore addressed him over his half moon spectacles. He nodded gravely. "Yes... you see there is only one way out of those handcuffs, a trick, one pull of a string that will unravel the whole knot... but it could be anything, you may have to spin around in a circle three times on the 21st of October, or sing three bars of silent night under a full moon, I cannot tell. Tomorrow perhaps you can start to..." Dumbledore's beard twitched, "experiment... in an attempt to find the pivotal thread to pull."

Hermione found voice from a gaping face... "But... But how will we go to lessons?"

"Lessons?" asked Ginny incredulously, "I'm more worried about how we're going to go to the toilet!"

Harry blanched.

"Right, er, well, I think Fred and me are going to head home," said George, looking slightly green.

They were mostly ignored but for a stern look from their mother.

When they arrived back in their flat they both just stared at each other.

George swore at Fred. "Are you _sure_ that there's no other way out of this?" he pleaded.

Fred tried to gulp but his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "It's fool proof, and genius proof. There's only one way."

George looked like he was going to throw up... "Well... let's get this over with."


	2. Ear Plugs

Harry's heart raced against his rib cage as his fingers brushed against Ginny's. He could not believe this had happened. They were alone now... just the four of them, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Hermione lay on a bed pushed up next to Ron's. The bedside cabinet, full of birthday presents, had been moved to the other side of Ron's bed. She lay on her back with her head tilted to the side so that she could watch Ron sleeping, waiting for him to wake up or mumble something. A little way off were too more beds pushed up close for Harry and Ginny when they eventually got tired.

Harry and Ginny sat at the end of Ron's bed on a pair of chairs pushed close together so that the arm rests were flush. Their arms lay side by side on those armrests and Harry's mouth dried out every time her hand brushed his. He was in such an awkward position here, attached to his best friend's sister, who had a boyfriend, and who he incidentally fancied the pants off of... in fact he was sort of in the same boat as Hermione... except that Ginny was not unconscious.

Ginny shifted and fidgeted again... If only he was not connected to someone whose touch made his heart race, or whose scent made him stare into space dreamily. He hated when he did that, he felt like a complete idiot.

Ginny wiggled in her seat.

"You alright?" he asked dryly, "or did the twins leave itching powder in your knickers before they left."

Instead of a witty scathing comment like he was expecting he received a look from the corner of Ginny's eye... a slightly petrified look... "er... actually... I quite need the toilet..."

Harry's mouth started to drop a little before he caught it. "Oh right..." he said with deceptive calmness. "So..."

"Hmm."

Harry nodded slowly like someone had just thrown him and interesting idea. He tried to speak quickly, as though the faster he spoke the less uncomfortable this conversation would be. "And er... You can't hold–"

"Nope –"

"Ok."

They both nodded and fidgeted nervously for a minute in an attempt to work up some motivation.

"So how are we going to –"

"I don't kno–"

"Right."

They avoided each other's eye and tapped their feet. Time seemed to drag unendingly. Harry took a deep breath and slowly let it out with puffed cheeks.

Ginny suddenly shot to her feet dragging Harry up with her.

"I'm sorry I've got to go." She hauled him quickly across the polished floor, out of the hospital wing and along the corridor to the nearest girls' toilets.

"Oh nooo..." moaned Harry when he realised what toilet it was, "please... surely you can hold on to the next toilet... just not this one... Myrtle's the last person we want to see us like this."

"I don't care I can't wait," cried Ginny as she dragged him through the door. He resisted the whole way across the shiny floor tiles but made as little noise as possible in the hope that Myrtle would not hear them. "Right you stand here," Ginny commanded pushing him against the column between cubicles. "Close your eyes and... and... plug your ears with something." Then she entered the cubicle. No sign of Myrtle... maybe she wasn't here.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut and stuck his fingers in his ears. Ginny yanked on the handcuffs which pulled Harry's left hand away from his ear. He kept his eyes tightly shut. "I can't get close enough... you're going to have to stick your arm out behind you."

"But how am I going to not listen without my ears plugged with my fingers?"

"I don't care I just need to go or I'll wet myself... hum or something." He could feel her jiggling around; it was making his arm bounce... He plugged his right index finger into his left ear because it was closest to Ginny and then hummed an awful rendition of baa baa black sheep... It didn't help... in fact... standing there made _him_ want the toilet.

He had no idea how long he hummed baa baa black sheep for before Ginny came out of the toilet. Harry peeked out of the corner of his eye and then let his hand fall... They both stood staring at the cubicles opposite in an embarrassed silence.

"We must never... ever speak of that," said Ginny, "ever!"

Harry nodded. "Ok... just as long as we don't talk about what's going to happen next."

Ginny finally looked at him. "What's going to happen next?" she asked worriedly.

He looked down at her and in a tone normally reserved for the eve of battles he said, "_I'm_ going to use the toilet!"

They swapped places. Things weren't going to badly... it looked like it was going to be a happy ending... embarrassing to be sure... but happy... and then...

"But you're a boy!"

"OH MERLIN!" Harry yelled. Moaning Myrtle's head was poking over the edge of the cubicle. "Oh dear Merlin. Myrtle go away. Go away... Please... Oh Merlin!" Harry shuffled to the side of the pan so that his back was to her, but he inadvertently pulled Ginny closer, into the entrance of the toilet. "DON'T OPEN YOUR EYES!" he yelled, his voice was full of panic. "For the love of – DON'T OPEN THEM."

Myrtle giggled evilly. "Oh what fun I'll have telling all the other ghosts about this," she squealed.

"No please, Myrtle you can't tell anyone. Not even the ghosts... please."

Thankfully he finished then, flushed the toilet and ran out of the cubicle.

A short time later two pairs of horrified eyes stared at the hospital wing floor from a pair of chairs at the end of the bed... They didn't say a word to each other.

"It surely couldn't have been that bad," said Hermione. She got no response. She frowned worriedly... "Just what happened?" she asked warily.

Harry and Ginny hesitantly caught each other's eye and then glanced away.

"We promised to never mention... it... again," said Ginny quietly. "And with good reason."

Harry laughed a bitter laugh that might have been misconstrued as a sigh... or a whine. Ginny made a murmur of agreement and then laughed too. Before they knew it the two of them we're in gales of hysterical laughter, sunk in their chairs until they were almost horizontal but unable to right themselves.

"Oh dear," said Hermione.

Harry dragged Ginny away and they returned five minutes later and put a pair of ear plugs next to Hermione on her bed. They burst out laughing again. "Trust me," Harry gasped. "You're going to need them."

That night was a restless one. In transfigured pyjamas they lay on beds side by side but could not get comfortable. Any time that one of them rolled over or moved it would jerk the other into wakefulness. Ginny could not fall asleep on her back unless she was really tired, but she was uncomfortable when she lay on either side because her arm had to remain in the same position. Really, Harry decided at about four o'clock in the morning, it was all Ginny's fault that he could not sleep.

She was lying away from him at the moment curled up with her right arm awkwardly twisted behind her back, he didn't think she was asleep but he couldn't really tell. Her hair fell across the pillow like a fan, he wanted to reach out and touch it, he always did, and he chastised himself... she had a boyfriend... and was Ron's sister, and she probably was not asleep, but maybe if she was she would never know, he almost moved his hand before he got a hold of himself.

Ginny suddenly rolled over scowling. "Would you stop sighing," she snapped in a whisper. Her hair fell across her face and she snatched it back angrily. "You've been doing it all night, and it's stopping me getting to sleep."

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm stopping _you_ getting to sleep? Well maybe I'm sighing in resignation, because I know I'm never going to get any sleep because you keep squirming every two seconds!" The thought of Ginny squirming closer to him shot through his mind and he was glad it was too dark to see him blush.

She growled like a cat. Then suddenly sniggered...

"What?" asked Harry feeling like he was about to fall into a trap.

"I was about to tell you to sod off," she giggled. "Then realised you couldn't."

Harry stared bemused. "How is that funny?"

"I don't know," Ginny gasped for breath, "I don't know." But she couldn't stop laughing, and Harry could not help but join in... Ginny had an incredible laugh, it made his fingers tingle.

An hour later they were sniping at each other again. They got no more sleep that night and lay watching the line of light descend the wall as the morning dawned.

"So what you plan on doing today?" asked Ginny sarcastically, she had dark crescents under her eyes.

Harry smiled. "Dunno, guess I'll do whatever you're doing if you don't mind too much."

"Really? Wow Harry you're such a gentleman." She mocked. "fancy spending the day together...?"

"What a good idea Ginny, I'd love nothing more than to spend the day with you," he said it playfully, but really it was the dead truth, there was nothing he would prefer to do.

Breakfast was a quiet affair in the hospital wing. Harry and Ginny sat side by side at a little table that Madam Pomfrey had provided; they struggled at first, pulling one way and then the other. They settled for cutting up all of one person's food and then cutting up all of the others and then eating their bacon and eggs with a fork in the free hand. Hermione had to drag Ron's arm everywhere. But at least there was no resistance to her tugs.

Harry set his fork down and leant back in his chair, pushing it back onto two legs and hooking his knees under the edge of the table to stop him falling backwards.

"Urgh, what the-?" Harry jumped at the sound of Ron's groggy voice. His knees unhooked from the table and suddenly there was nothing holding him up. He flailed his arms for something to hold him up but missed. His legs shot into the air and knocked the table flying. There was a yank at his arm and then with a crash he hit the ground on his back. A grunt was ejected from his lungs as Ginny and her chair slammed down on his chest.

"Urgh," Harry and Ginny both groaned.

"Harry?" Ron said thickly. His eyes were only half open and his head seemed wobbly. "Why are you lying on the floor, handcuffed, to my sister?"

"_What_ on _Earth_?" cried Madam Pomfrey who had shot out of her office at the sound of the crash. "Mr Weasley... You're awake..." She hurried passed Harry and Ginny who were still lying together on the floor, and began to prod and poke with her wand. Ron ignored her.

"Hermione?" his voice wavered.

"...I'm here Ron." Hermione rolled onto her side on her bed so that she faced him. Ginny slowly rolled off of Harry and sat on the floor next to him. Harry was still panting, but he did not know whether it was through lack of breath or because Ginny's body had been pressed so firmly against his own. Harry sat up next to her.

Ron lifted his wobbly right hand and Hermione's rose with it. Ron frowned; his eyes were still only half open. "Why are we handcuffed to each other?" he asked. "Is this why we're in the hospital wing?"

"No Mr Weasley that is not why you are here," interrupted Madam Pomfrey. "In fact, you were poisoned."

"_Poisoned_?"

"You took a drink of mulled mead and it had poison in it... nobody knows why there was poison in it, but everyone is looking into it."

Ron scrunched up his face in confusion. "But what was I doing drinking mead?"

Madam Pomfrey stopped whatever she had been doing with her wand and looked across Ron to Hermione. "I'll let you explain things to him shall I?" Hermione nodded. "Good. Here drink this now, and drink this one in two hours. I'll come and check on you then." She moved to put a small glass vial on the cabinet by the bed but found it covered with the presents Harry had brought from the dormitory. She leaned over Ron and handed it to Hermione instead. "Two hours," she reminded and then turned from Ron's bed and stopped as she started to walk away. "Why on earth are you two on the floor? You set things straight before I come back or I'll put you to something useful while you're here." She bustled away importantly.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione spent a while explaining to Ron what had happened. He did not remember anything from his birthday. Not even the morning before he'd been poisoned.

The morning dragged. Madam Pomfrey came back twice from her office to check on Ron and have him drink more potions

The rest of the day was boring and frustrating. Having not slept a lot the night before, Harry and Ginny were irritable and waspish so that they went from joking to throwing insults in seconds. Ron slept for most of the day, Hermione was reading ahead a week just in case, and Professor Flitwick came by for an hour to try to free them of the handcuffs, and the rash around Harry's wrist after Flitwick gave up did nothing to ease his mood.

"Why am I always the guinea pig?" he complained.

In the late afternoon Professor Dumbledore came to see them. "I was very much hoping that you would be free of your predicament by this time," he said gravely. "However, quite obviously you are not."

"You show mastery in the art of deduction," Harry commented, Dumbledore shared a laugh with them.

"Quite... I've have decided that you should accompany Ginny to her lessons, Harry. It is not so pivotal that you turn up to every lesson at your stage of schooling, but with OWL's nearing, it is for you Ginny. I 

have arranged with all of the professors to have sixth year work sent here every evening so that you, Hermione, and Ron do not fall too far behind. Does any of this sound unreasonable to any of you?"

"No sir," replied Hermione.

"Good, then I will leave you to your peace." He spoke then only to Harry. "I will wait until this situation has passed before I send you another note, and your homework can wait until you are free, I'm sure you understand. Good evening." Dumbledore politely withdrew.

**A/N: I've had an excellent responce from this. I tried to respond to everyone who reviewed and would just like to say thank you to those who i couldn't respond to.**


	3. The glass is half full

That night after brushing their teeth and transfiguring their clothes into pyjamas they got back into bed and Harry prepared for another sleepless night. He lay on his back with his left hand out to the side and rolled his eyes when Ginny immediately started squirming to get into a comfortable position. An hour and a half later Harry still lay staring at the ceiling and Ginny still had not found a comfortable spot. He sighed tragically.

"Oh don't start that again," Ginny snapped in a whisper. Harry turned to her with a flat stare. The moon light was coming in through a window at the end of the room and reflecting off of her hair.

"Why can't you just stay still and go to sleep?"

"Because I can't get comfortable with you on the end of my arm… I like to sleep on my left side, and it bends my arm up behind my back."

Harry glanced at their hands. He saw a solution… but he was not sure he was brave enough to suggest it. He swallowed and dug deep. "If you er – roll over, onto my arm… well… that might work…"

Her dark eyes flitted from Harry's face to his hand. She made to move then stopped. "I'll squash your arm."

"Don't be stupid of course you won't."

"I will."

Harry grimaced. "Well then that's a price I'm willing to pay for a night's sleep."

Ginny swallowed and in a quiet voice said, "Ok." She pushed back her sheets and Harry drew his down from the corner. Ginny rolled towards Harry and settled facing away from him, pushing her back against his chest. He felt her shiver and pulled the sheets up over her quickly. Harry's left forearm rested underneath the hollow of Ginny's waist and Ginny clasped his left hand with her right. She did not seem to notice his sweaty palms. Now what was he supposed to do with his right hand? He rested it on his hip… that would have to do.

With his face right behind Ginny's head every breath he took filled his nostrils with the fragrance of her hair. His heart felt like a bird trapped in a cage.

It soon became apparent that Harry's right hand to move, he could not keep it on his hip, it was just too uncomfortable… There was only one thing for it. He wanted to swallow but his mouth had gone completely dry. Taking a steadying breath he reached his right arm around Ginny's stomach. He planned on resting his hands together but forgot that Ginny had taken his left hand in her own, and he succeeded in trapping her hand between both of his. Rather than pull away from him as he had been expecting Ginny snuggled back more firmly against his chest.

Suddenly instead of feeling nervous Harry felt remarkably content. He let out a breath he did not know he had been holding and found his whole body relaxing. He even found enough saliva in his mouth to swallow.

Light stabbed at Harry's eyes and he squinted into the morning sunshine.

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Argh," Harry clapped his hands over his ears… or at least he tried. His right hand found the side of his head easily enough but his left hand seemed to have left his body some time during the night. He could not feel it. And then he remembered why, and he jerked away from Ginny as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and sent Ginny back into her own bed. She landed with a thud and a groan.

"We couldn't sleep otherwise," complained Ginny.

"And next you'll be saying that you can't breathe unless your lips are sealed together… what would your mother say?" Harry pressed his eyes tightly shut and tried not to imagine how red his face had become. Oh what _would_ Mrs Weasley say?

But Ginny just laughed, "She'd just _love_ it."

"I cannot believe you know your mother so badly," said Madam Pomfrey with her hands on her hips.

"Oh please, it's Harry, Mum wouldn't care… what time is it anyway?"

They got up and Madam Pomfrey supervised while they took turns inside a curtain so that they could charm their night clothes off and charm their uniform on for their first day of lessons.

The rest of the school had not yet seen the predicament they were in and Harry and Ginny were stared at the whole way to the great hall. Ginny sat them down opposite one of her friends, who looked at her like she'd grown another head…

"Harry, this is Anushka. Anushka, Harry," Ginny said. Anushka had dirty blonde coloured hair and a slightly pointed face, she had on small blue earrings that matched her eyes and her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows revealing skinny arms and wrists.

"Yeah," said Anushka slowly lowering a still loaded fork back to her plate, "I know who he is Ginny… but why is he handcuffed to you?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know," said Harry.

Ginny pulled Harry's hand under the table and sat close to him so that unless you looked under the table from the other side, the handcuffs could not be seen. Although he put up the pretence of hating the burden of being attached to someone he could not think of anyone better to be attached to.

"I'm almost certain it was my twin brothers," said Ginny. "But they completely deny it… and they ended up handcuffed together too."

"Regardless, I think it was them," agreed Harry. "They probably went home and had it off quick as you like."

"Yeah… it's not like they don't know how to lie… would you mind giving me a hand cutting up my sausages Harry?"

"Sure." Ginny held the sausages still with her fork while Harry cut them with his knife… Harry glanced up to see Anushka frowning at them with one eye brow raised and a quirked mouth… it was an expression he saw on Ginny quite often and he wondered whether Anushka had got the habit from Ginny or if Ginny had got the habit from Anushka.

"That's really weird, you know," she said.

"Would it look better if I ate the sausage whole?" Ginny asked. "I could try if you like?"

"You do and I'll never sit with you at breakfast again." Ginny laughed.

"So what have you got first?" Harry asked.

"We've got potions," replied Ginny.

"Well that shouldn't be too bad, Slughorn like's us at least."

"What?" said Anushka, her eyes and finger moved back and forth between Harry and Ginny. "You've got to come to all of our lessons?"

"Well one of us had to go to the others lesson and Dumbledore thought that Ginny's lessons were more important because she's got her O.W.L's this year."

Potions went perfectly for Harry. He had been a little worried because he would not be able to perform any miraculous potion feats without his potion book, but Slughorn gave him a scapegoat by jovially warning him not to help Ginny with his overwhelming potions knowledge because she had to learn for herself.

"Please?" Ginny drew out, "just a little help?"

"It just wouldn't be fair on everyone else who doesn't have my over whelming potions knowledge attached to their wrist Ginny."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, just give me your potions book for my birthday or something."

"What and give up getting an O in my potion N.E.W.T's… come on, really?"

"Well hopefully giving up the book will get rid of the ego too."

"Ooo, you're getting no help now."

The staring they received through the lesson was not nearly as bad as Harry had feared.

Transfiguration was very similar except Harry did help, mainly because Ginny couldn't move her right hand properly so her wand motions were always wrong.

Lunch came around quickly and they sat close together again, but by this time word seemed to be out and people from other houses were craning their necks to try and get a good look at them.

Dean sat down next to Anushka on the other side of the table. "Word has it," he said to Harry, "that you've handcuffed yourself to my girlfriend."

Harry puffed out his cheeks and lifted his encumbered hand. "Ok then… _Why_ have you handcuffed yourself to my girlfriend?"

"Your girlfriend has a name," muttered Ginny rolling her eyes.

"It was Fred and George," Harry told him, "…we think."

Dean spoke to Ginny, "Your brothers handcuffed you to Harry… Why?"

"I don't know," she said irritably, "but they attached Ron to Hermione too and not even Dumbledore undo it."

"Ron's been handcuffed to Hermione?" came a voice from behind them. Harry and Ginny both turned around to see Lavender. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Well not really handcuffed, I mean, he _is_ attached to her," said Ginny, "but not by the wrist."

Lavender scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean? Where's he attached to her?"

Ginny made a kissing noise and pouted her lips extravagantly. Lavender's eyes narrowed suspiciously, Ginny returned the look with a suit-your-self raise of the eyebrows and turned back to choose a sandwich. Lavender stormed away.

"That was cruel," Harry said. Ginny shrugged.

"I'm guessing Ron and Hermione aren't really sealed at the lips," Dean said.

"Nope," said Ginny, "but Lavender is so paranoid about Hermione it's just too easy, and I mean, who wouldn't be in Lavenders position, Hermione's far better suited for Ron."

Harry looked up in a moment of inspiration. "Oh _I_ _see_." He laughed. "Oh, you hypocrite."

"What?"

"You're just as bad as your brothers really, aren't you. You always tell them off when they try and interfere with your love life but you're just as bad as they are."

"Don't be ridiculous."

She turned to Dean but before she could appeal for help he said, "I'm with Harry on this one."

"Fine then," she said and she went to stand up.

"Don't try and storm off Ginny," Harry said condescendingly, "it just won't work."

She settled back down and glared daggers at him. "Don't forget, that I'm with you, every second of your day, and displeasing me might not be in your best interests."

Harry smiled patronisingly. "Don't worry, I'll watch my back." He almost patted her cheek but thought he might be taking it a bit far, but Ginny seemed to think he had gone too far already.

Ginny raised her voice. "No Harry I _WONT_ sleep with you I don't care _how_ horny you are or how much you _need_ the experience. I've got a boyfriend and _you_ are not him!"

People as far away as the Ravenclaw table stood up to stare at him, conversation stopped and was replaced by excited whispers and Ginny simply picked up her salad sandwich and angrily took a bite.

Harry stared silently at his plate willing himself not to go red as he felt judging eyes fall on him. He felt a heaviness press against his chest, the last comment had hurt, oh how much he _wanted_ to be her boyfriend.

Her actual boyfriend sat opposite him with his fist in his mouth and his eyes closed holding back explosive laughter. His whole body vibrated with the effort. "I'm sorry I've got to go," he choked out and Harry was sure that he was going to find an empty passage way to let out his mirth.

Harry was glad that there were only two professors at lunch yet and that neither of them was Snape… and as a bonus one of them was Hagrid, and he would not believe Ginny over himself.

"Call it even?" asked Ginny.

"Even?" demanded Harry through gritted teeth. "I _cannot_ _begin_ to describe just how _un_even we are."

There was a pause… "You're right," she said. "What you said was far worse."

Harry stared with an open mouth. He did not really feel hungry anymore. Instead of eating he pushed his plate away with his left hand while he stealthily pushing his wand up his right sleeve. While Ginny finished her sandwich, trying to be as nonchalant as possible even with people looking their way every couple of seconds, Harry very quietly levitated a cup of pumpkin juice and floated it underneath the table until it was right in front of Ginny's knees. He was thoroughly chuffed with himself for managing it without being able to see it. He held it there while Ginny finished and then leant on her elbow to talk to Anushka, she laughed as though there was nothing in the world to worry about… she'd have something to worry about soon.

"Come on Harry, we're going back to the common room," she said eventually.

"Ok…" and then just as Ginny started to rise Harry flicked his wand and the pumpkin juice he had been holding tipped into Ginny's lap. She stopped, half way up and slowly turned to glare at Harry.

"Everything alright?" he asked with a straight face. She looked carefully downwards and then furtively around at the nearby people.

"Are you ok Ginny?" asked Anushka who was standing on the other side of the table with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Just dandy," she growled through gritted teeth. She turned to Harry. "On three, we get up and we leave as fast as we can."

"Er… ok."

"Three," she said and stood up. Harry did not move. Ginny tugged frantically at his arm. Harry stared pointedly at Ginny's crotch and shook his head tragically. "Ok, I suppose you'll want to go and get cleaned up."

Harry heard a snigger from Anushka across the table with a big grin on her face. As she hurried out of the hall Harry really hoped she had gone to find Dean and that they were right now laughing their heads off with each other.

Other people began to notice Ginny's quandary and laughed and told others. Ginny went bright red. Harry thought she had probably had enough and allowed her to lead him away. She took her dark green bag and held it in front of her but it just served to draw more attention to the front of her robes.

"Now," he said once they were in the entrance hall, "now we're even."

"Now," she replied, "we are going back to the common room so that I can get changed."

Harry took them mostly through secret passages so that Ginny did not have to pass people looking like she had wet herself. Only three people saw them on their way. They climbed awkwardly through the portrait hole and Ginny led them to the girls' staircase. "I can't go up there," said Harry.

Ginny stopped and turned to him, still holding her bag in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed once without any sound coming out… "But… how am I meant to get my clothes?"

"Just summon them."

"They're in a closed trunk in a closed room."

Harry looked around the common room and could not believe that there were no other girls in the common room. "Well… well, you can borrow a set of my robes," Harry offered. Ginny groaned.

"And your underwear too?" she asked sarcastically.

"Underwear?"

"Yes… you've completely soaked my knicke –" Harry put his hand over her mouth very conscious of the group of fourth year boys all quite obviously listening but pretending not to and not wanting them thinking of Ginny's knickers.

Harry led her quickly up into his dormitory. It was empty, all of the curtains around the four poster beds were open wide and a trunk sat closed at the end of each bed. The house elves had cleaned and tidied the room since the boys had left that morning and they had refilled the jug of water that always sat on the windowsill. He opened the trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out a spare, slightly too small set of robes, and a hand towel. He passed them to Ginny, but she just gave him a contemptuous stare. "You can turn your nose up all you like but this is the best I can do."

"Underwear?"

"Er… well you can borrow a pair if you _want_, b-"

"Urgh," she shrieked, "I am not wearing your _underwear_, Harry."

"Well I don't know what you want me to do then? You can either stay wet or go commando."

"What on earth is 'go commando'?"

Harry shuffled his feet and leant his free shoulder against the corner post of his bed. "Well… you know… go without…"

Ginny stared blankly at him. "I suppose that would give you an excellent opportunity to get me back wouldn't it… wait until we're in a busy corridor and then shout, _Ginny's not wearing any underwear_."

"No Ginny," Harry said guiltily, "I'm sorry, ok, for getting you wet."

Ginny took the robes and towel from him. "It's ok… I'm sorry for shouting out that you – well, you know - I over reacted a little."

"Yeah," Harry scratched behind his ear. "It was quite funny though."

"It was wasn't it?" Ginny laughed, and her face broke out into one of her cheeky grins. "You went soo red," she crowed.

"Says the girl who just turned the same colour as her hair and hid behind her bag."

Ginny stroked one hand through her hair self consciously. "No one actually believed I'd wet myself though. They all knew it was you, or that I'd just spilt something down myself."

"Oh of course, of course."

"Of course… although I think that boy we passed on the fifth floor thought I had. He looked like he'd just smelt a dungbomb. People actually believed you wanted to sleep with me though."

"You know I cannot believe you said that… and what makes you think _anyone_ would believe that." Even though it was completely and utterly true and Harry wished with all his heart that it was true for Ginny too, but instead he said, "It was far too ridiculous."

Ginny's smile fixed itself to her face, but her eyes had stopped smiling. "Ridiculous," she said strangely. "Of course… Turn around and make sure nobody comes in," she commanded. So she stood right next to his bed and he stood between her and the door while she charmed off her wet robes and towelled herself dry.

Harry's left hand was being yanked about behind his back. Harry started to watch the door. But all he could think about was that there was a mirror to his left and that if he were to just take a quick peek…

There was a rattle at the door handle. "Don't come in!" shouted Harry. "Quickly," he whispered to Ginny completely forgetting himself and turned around. In that one quick instant, while Ginny was rubbing her legs dry with his hand towel standing on her crumpled robe discarded on the floor, before he turned back to face the door, he thought his heart had stopped… or exploded… or stopped and then exploded. All he knew was that as he was now looking at the door he was unsteady on his feet and felt like every drop of blood had left his head.

"Why not?" came Dean's voice from outside. Why did it have to be Dean?

"Stall him," hissed Ginny quietly.

"I'm er… I've… I've made a mess," Harry called.

"A mess?" Ginny hissed again. "What sort of an excuse is that?"

Harry waved his arm panicked. "I'm just cleaning it up."

"You've… What?" said Dean sounding thoroughly confused. "Harry we've all left the room untidy before I'm sure I won't –"

"No – no - you're - ah – not allowed in until I've cleaned up this mess I've made… er..."

"Harry, you suck at this," whispered Ginny.

"Just what type of mess? Do you mean – do you mean – you know... a mess on the sheets mess?" he said confidingly. "'Cause it's alright... just draw the curtains and I'll pretend I never saw anything."

"Eww," Harry heard Ginny moan behind him. "Ew, ew, ew."

"I'm coming in Harry."

The handle turned and the door cracked open. "NO!" shrieked Ginny.

"Hey," shouted Dean throwing open the door. "Just what's going on here? Are you making a mess with _Ginny_?"

Ginny shrieked again and tried to make herself as small as she could behind Harry screaming, "GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT."

Dean took one look at Ginny's clothes on the floor and then fled, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny moaned. "That was just awful."

A minute later Harry heard Ginny charm his old robes on. "You can turn around now," she said morosely. Ginny groaned and sat on the edge of Harry's bed. She put her free hand over her eyes for a second and then lifted it and pushed her hair back. "Right, we should go now. We can tell Dean the dormitory is free."

Dean was waiting outside the door with Seamus a sandy haired boy who shared the dormitory, who stuck his head through the door as soon as it started opening. Harry could not help but feel that Seamus was a little disappointed when he realised that Ginny had finished changing.

Seamus grabbed a book from his trunk and left before Ginny had even bundled up her wet clothes.

"You know," said Dean as soon as Seamus was gone, "I thought it was a bit of a laugh with the handcuffs at first. But I'm not sure I'm happy with you two like that anymore…"

Harry stood there like a rabbit caught in headlights… what on earth was he meant to say to that?

"We're not exactly happy about it either," said Ginny irritably, "but we're stuck. I could always cut my arm off, I suppose. Would you prefer a girlfriend stuck to another man or a girlfriend with only one arm?"

Dean's lips narrowed and he shook his head and walked off angrily towards the door. He stopped as he opened it and turned back to Ginny, who was sat on Harry's bed staring at Dean angrily. "Maybe it'd just be better if I don't see you while you're…" He gestured at their wrists and then slammed the door shut behind him. When Harry and Ginny left, she slammed the door too.

The afternoon was much quieter, and Ginny did not seem particularly upset about Dean, although she did occasionally yank rather viciously at Harry's wrist when he was not allowing her wand hand enough freedom.

Harry helped Ginny with spells and theory that he had already covered, and then they had a quiet dinner, not counting the continuing staring, although Harry was quite used to it, and then they returned to the hospital wing for the night. Ron and Hermione were still there, Hermione of course, was unable to leave while Ron had to stay in the hospital wing, and Hermione had a big grin on her face, and no matter how many times she tried to contain it, it still managed to fight its way out.

Eventually Ron told them that Lavender had broken up with him earlier. Ginny turned to Harry smugly. Harry whispered, "Hypocrite," and her smug face fell sullenly.

**A/N : I'm afraid to say this is probably the penultimate chapter. The response i got from these first two chapters was great. Thanks to you all**


	4. The shower is half empty

The next day ran far more smoothly. There were no accidents with pumpkin juice or shouted accusations.

Until, that is, the evening, when Harry and Ginny were sat in the library so that Harry could catch up on the work he was missing.

Ginny leaned towards Harry and sniffed, then quickly pulled back wriggling her nose and scrunching her mouth. "You need a bath."

Harry sat open mouthed, and then snapped it shut. "Well you don't exactly smell of roses yourself... I'm not taking a bath while you're attached to my wrist."

"Why not?"

"Because… it's not like we can take turns at taking a bath is it? We'd have to take a bath _together_."

Ginny grinned evilly. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Harry stared at her gob smacked.

"Oh stop it, I was only joking, I was thinking, maybe we could get the room of requirement to turn into a shower room."

"I really don't see how that solves the problem," Harry said hoarsely.

"Well, you know, it'll work like going to the toilet." Ginny shifted in her seat. "You take your turn while I stand outside." She waited for him to think, with an encouraging look on her face.

"Alright, alright I'll give it a go."

"Phew good come on." She grabbed his hand and bag and pulled him out of the library.

The room Harry asked for at the room of requirement looked very much like the prefects bathroom but with a shower cubicle at the end of the room.

"Wow… that is a _massive_ bath."

"It's like the one in the prefects' bathroom."

"How would you know… you're not a prefect."

"Being quidditch captain has its perks; I can use all the prefect stuff."

"Seriously? Right, I'm making sure I get the job after you leave."

They stood for a few minutes in front of the cubicle shifting their feet uncertainly.

"So…er. You first Harry."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. But decided that he did not mind going first… Harry drew his wand and then stared pointedly at Ginny. She looked back at him innocently for a second… "Oh!" she said widening her eyes and then squeezing them shut. Harry positioned her just outside the shower. It had no door so he just made sure her back was pressed up against one edge of the cubicle. When he was satisfied that she was not going to see anything that she should not he picked a spot to aim at and waved his wand over his clothes and said, "_Relocatus_." Harry set his wand down and with his free hand he turned the taps to start the shower. The water came out luke warm to start with. He wet his hair with one hand as it warmed up, but struggled a lot to squeeze the shampoo bottle onto the same hand that was holding it.

It was as he was trying to empty some shampoo onto his hand that he caught a dark brown eye gazing in his direction. Ginny was peeking! Harry yelped. He whirled around; Ginny was hauled towards him and crashed into his side under the water. The shampoo bottle flew through the air spinning and pouring out streams of shampoo in swirls before it crashed to the floor and began to leak its contents down the drain. Harry completely forgot that that Ginny's hand was next to his and he clamped his hands over his privates. Ginny gasped in delighted shock as her hand landed underneath Harry's. Naturally Harry flung his hands back away as quickly as possible. Except he was now standing, dripping wet and extremely naked, right in front of Ginny, who was staring right at him but not at his face. Her bright eyes were wide, her red lips were slightly parted and Harry panicked. He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her to him, using her own body as a shield for his own.

Ginny seemed to snap back to herself, "Oh," she complained, "you've made me sopping wet… again."

"Me?" Harry demanded sounding strained, "how can you blame this on me when you were _peeping_."

Ginny had the grace to blush. "It was only a _little_ peep," she said sheepishly holding her finger and thumb not very far apart.

"I hope you're not trying to insinuate anything."

She grinned wickedly.

He could only make a small whining noise, and then cleared his throat in embarrassment. Harry realised that Ginny's left hand was resting on his waist and he shivered despite the hot shower. They stood there for a few seconds, pressed hard against each other, Harry thought he could feel Ginny's heart beat racing against him, but that might have been an echo of his own which felt about to explode.

"So what now?" asked Ginny.

"Well," Harry said bravely, "what was it you said earlier? 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours'?"

Ginny pulled back her head slightly; her already flushed face went so dark the light freckles across her nose stood out like they had been painted on. "I -" her words caught, "I suppose I did say that," she got out breathily. Her breathing seemed to get heavier. "I suppose I _am_ already wet." Her hand left his waist, and the next second she held her wand. Ginny's breathing seemed as fast as Harry's. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "_Relocatus_."

Skin was suddenly touching skin and Ginny hopped half a step backwards. She was still close but not quite touching. She did not seem to know what to do with her hands and Harry saw a shiver run up her back. Harry swallowed hard.

Ginny looked at the floor over her shoulder and Harry surreptitiously glanced downwards… he nearly swallowed his tongue. Ginny turned around and bent to pick up the shampoo bottle. _Oh Sweet Merlin, sweet, sweet Merlin_.

She stood back up and gave it back to Harry. She then summoned her own from a little pile of clothing and towels Ginny had left over by the bath then tossed her wand to the floor. She poured out a pool of shampoo in her hand and began to massage it into her hair. She stood with her back to him.

"We should have had a bath after all. It would have been far less mortifying," said Ginny. She sighed. "Well I suppose the damage is done…" She seemed to be having trouble with her hair.

"Would you like a hand?" asked Harry

She faced him self consciously… this couldn't be any easier for her than it was for him he was sure. "I'd quite like my own… but seeing as you've laid claim to it, I suppose yours will do." Ginny squeezed a small amount of shampoo onto his hand and turned away from him so that he could get to her head.

"Ouch," she cried as Harry's fingers caught in her hair.

"Sorry… Sorry."

"That's ok… but more like this," she said as she showed him how to wash her hair.

"It's so much easier having short hair," he said.

"If you're suggesting I cut my hair short," she said fiercely, "I'll take scissors to _you_… and I don't mean your hair."

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on…" Harry paused, "I honestly didn't mean to make that pun…and I wasn't suggesting you cut it… I like your hair… I was just saying that _my_ hair, as messy as it is, must be much easier to manage than yours."

"Hmm." They didn't speak anymore until Ginny's hair was washed. Then she pulled it over her shoulder and looked back up at him… "Would you mind washing my back?"

Harry tried to make a sound of acquiescence, but all that came out was a strangled "Uh huh," which sounded like a gurgle.

He lathered soap on his hands and reached up to her shoulder. Her skin was soft but burned Harry's hand… his pulse quickened and his chest did not seem to have room to contain his beating heart. Harry's hand slid smoothly over the curves of Ginny's back and round the graceful arches of her waist.

"Mm," Ginny murmured, "that's actually really nice. Thank you."

Harry seemed to become slightly light headed and his tongue tied itself into a complicated knot of twine in his mouth.

Ginny turned back around close to him. Her downturned eyes were opening slowly, and then they snapped wide. She gasped and stopped turning around so that she stood in profile in front of him. She turned her face away from him with a shocked smile and delightfully naughty giggle, her left hand came up to shield her eyes. "_Harry_!"

Harry groaned. Ginny's face had gone red again, a blush, he noticed, that spread down her neck and across the top of her chest. He wondered whether his face was as red as hers. He pushed his wet hair back sheepishly. "Ginny… I'm naked… in a shower… with an equally naked and incredibly attractive girl," he managed breathlessly, "can you really blame me?"

"_Harry_!" she said in a completely different tone of voice… Harry noticed that she did not seem to be able to keep herself from peeking; she still had that half grin on her face. He could not help but think that she was incredibly pleased with herself. "What would Ron say if he knew you were having such impure thoughts about his sister?"

"Well you might be _his_ sister… but you're not _mine_."

She dropped her hand and looked at him fully. The expression on her delicate face was unreadable; her dark eyes, searching. She quite deliberately let her gaze wander over him… he felt it only fair that he repay her in kind. She grabbed the soap and twisted around behind him before he could ask what she was doing. His handcuffed hand was pulled behind him and Ginny's attached hand rested firmly against his bum. He tensed and jerked a little.

"Oh-ho," Ginny laughed huskily. She firmly moved towards him, pushing against him until he was far enough forward that they were both under the falling water. Harry thought he could feel the whole length of Ginny's body pressed against his back, her curves moulded against him. His trapped hand was resting on her hip. Her free hand slid up his side and began to slowly cover him in lather. Her body slid upwards against him as she went up on tip toes. Harry thought he might have a heart attack. "You are far too tall," she breathed in his ear. She laid a hand on his shoulder and pushed downwards until he was on his knees. She followed him down and put one knee on either side of his feet. "There… much better."

The feel of her hand caressing his back made him moan in pleasure. Ginny's hand descended lower and lower continuing its ministration. Harry noticed in front of him a knob that had not been there when he had turned the shower on. He reached out and turned it… huge cascading waterfalls of bubbles and foam sprung from the shower head in purples, lilacs, mauves, and lavenders.

"Oh, wow," said Ginny. Her hand still sunk lower and then squeezed. Harry gasped and breathed in a bubble. He coughed and choked and Ginny laughed. Ginny leant over to reach for her wand which had been discarded on the floor. She crawled one step and then stretched out with an arched back to pick it up. She pulled herself back to her knees using Harry's arm as a prop and knelt directly in front of him. She was breathing quickly as she pressed against him. Harry suddenly did not have the air in his lungs to cough. "_Anapneo_," said Ginny. The horrible feeling of soap in Harry's airways disappeared and so too did the taste. He breathed freely again… and rapidly.

And then he could not hold himself back any longer and he kissed her, and she kissed him back sensuously, and he let his hands roam over her skin as he had ached to do for so long. They pushed their hands through each other's wet hair and lost themselves in the feel of each other… and neither of them noticed that there was nothing joining their hands together any longer, until they were drying each other off with soft fluffy white towels.

Ginny and Harry arrived at the hospital wing hand in hand later that evening and sat down next to the beds that Ron and Hermione were in.

"Hi," greeted Hermione as they sat. "How was your day?" She had not noticed that Harry and Ginny were keeping their hands together by choice not necessity now.

"Oh, you know, we did a bit of this," said Ginny.

"A bit of that," said Harry.

"Got our handcuffs off," Ginny listed out nonchalantly.

"Ate some dinn –"

"You got FREE?" cried Hermione. "So did _we_."

Ron and Hermione both pulled their hands out from under the covers and waved them around.

"How did you do it?" asked Harry. "When?"

"'Bout lunchtime," said Ron sounding quite pleased with himself.

"How?" Ginny asked.

Hermione gave Ron a shy glance, but Ron was still looking a little smug. She leant closer to Harry and Ginny as though sharing a secret, the sheets she was laying on crumpled and creased. "Well… we… kissed… and they just popped off and disappeared." She sat back again self satisfied.

Harry's eyes met Ginny's and held them.

"Wait a minute," Ron drew out, "you're not trying to say… you two didn't…" He must have seen the guilty smiles on their faces. "Really?"

Ginny nodded.

"When?"

"Only about half an hour ago," answered Ginny.

"Where?" asked Hermione delightedly.

"_Why_?" asked Ron looking disgusted.

"What do you mean _why_?" Ginny cried indignantly. "See Harry I told you he wouldn't understand didn't I."

Harry felt a little heat rise in his cheeks. "Well… Those weren't your exact words were they?" He laughed nervously.

Ginny grinned wickedly and lent close to whisper by his ear. "No, but I don't think Ron needs to know about your impure thoughts."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your thoughts were just chastity incarnate."

Ginny giggled. "Urgh," said Ron, looking like he'd just tasted something foul.

"Oh leave them alone," said Hermione lightly, gently rapping Ron's arm with the back of her hand. Hermione's eyes widened and turned to Ginny quickly. "Please tell me you broke up with Dean before you kissed Harry."

Ginny frowned. "Oh dear… I suppose I really should do that."

"Oh _Ginny_," Hermione admonished shaking her head sternly.

"Well to be fair, he did tell me he didn't want to see me yesterday."

"He broke up with _you_?" asked Ron indignantly.

"Well not really… He just said he didn't think we should see each other while Harry and I were still attached at the wrist… I'll just have to tell him that I don't want to see him while I'm _not_ attached to Harry either." She shrugged her shoulders happily. "I don't think we would have lasted much longer anyway, and I think I prefer it this way."

**A/N : Just a short epilogue to go now. **


	5. Epilogue

The Easter holidays seemed to rush up on them all. Harry had never been happier but time always seemed to fly whenever he wanted it to crawl. He spent as much time as possible with Ginny, and when the Hogwarts Express came on April the 5th Harry left with her to spend the Easter holidays' at the Burrow.

Spring was getting underway and the plants in the garden were flowering and the trees were filling with green leaves and blossom. The year seemed to come alive with Harry's feelings, ever since he and Ginny started going out the world seemed a much nicer place.

Fred and George came around the first night that Harry and Ginny were back and they plopped themselves down in arm chairs while Ginny lay on the sofa with her feet up on Harry's lap. Harry had one foot in each of his hands and was softly rubbing his thumbs across the soles of Ginny's feet.

The twins cheered when they saw their wrists free of their manacles.

"So you got our handcuffs off," said George grinning.

"They _were_ yours," cried Ginny, "I _knew_ it."

"Well of course they were ours... who else do you know who'd do something like that."

"Now Harry," said Fred, "seeing as we know how you got free I believe we need to have a little chat with you."

"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed Ginny, "you put the handcuffs on us in the first place, so you _wanted_ us to do what was necessary to get them off."

"Nevertheless we-"

But Harry was looking between them aghast and waving a finger from one to the other. "But how did _you_ two get them off?" he said suspiciously. "You didn't have to - surely you had another way."

"Of course we had another way but we weren't about to tell you," said George. But the look on his face and the shiver that ran down Fred's spine gave them away.

"You two had to kiss," cried Ginny. "Eeeeew, urgh, oh Merlin, ew, ew, ew."

Harry laughed. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." He wiped a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye.

"Yes ok, laugh it up. Not all of our brilliant plans go off without a hitch you know."

"Oh Ron's going to love this," said Ginny giggling.

"No he's not," said Fred forcefully, "because he's not going to find out. Did he and Hermione get free?"

"Yeah they got free before we did," Harry told him.

"Really?" asked George. "See Fred, I told you he could still get some in a hospital bed."

"He's going to laugh so hard when he finds out you two had to kiss each other," laughed Ginny. "Did you just have to peck or was it like a proper French kiss?"

"You can't tell anyone Ginny. The way I see it you owe us or else you'd still be going out with that tall bloke and wouldn't have this hunk of a man," said Fred knocking Harry's arm with his knuckles playfully making him blush.

"Hmm I suppose you do have a point there." Ginny cocked her head in thought. "How about this... I get to tell Ron that you had to kiss, and in return I won't get you back for messing with my love life."

Harry coughed out, "Hypocrite," and then casually let his eyes wonder across the ceiling innocently.

"Oh really?" said Fred. "Have you been meddling in other peoples love lives yourself Ginny?"

"No," she said as though she were insulted.

"Yes," said Harry, "she gave Ron and Hermione a little helping hand."

"Oh I see," said Fred.

"Fine then... I won't tell him... Happy?"

"Good enough I suppose. But we're not telling you anything else. I can't imagine you two didn't have any embarrassing moments after all." Harry and Ginny caught each other's eye and hastily looked away. "And besides... it was just a kiss."

**A/N: Well thank you to you all for reading and reviewing... I've enjoyed this story, and i thought this would be a nice succinct way of finishing it off. Thank you all.**


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